AMF Tjanstepension AB Lowers Stock Holdings in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

AMF Tjanstepension AB cut its holdings in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 26.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 85,375 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,375 shares during the quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $14,454,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Zoetis by 222.5% during the fourth quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Independence Bank of Kentucky boosted its holdings in Zoetis by 371.4% in the 4th quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 165 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Zoetis during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,000. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Zoetis news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 923 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.17, for a total value of $139,529.91. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,237,316. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on ZTS shares. HSBC lowered their target price on shares of Zoetis from $230.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down from $220.00) on shares of Zoetis in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Zoetis from $223.00 to $196.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Zoetis from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $211.75.

Zoetis Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE:ZTS opened at $173.37 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 3.33 and a quick ratio of 1.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.11 billion, a PE ratio of 33.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $168.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $178.81. Zoetis Inc. has a 1 year low of $144.80 and a 1 year high of $201.92.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.14 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 27.38% and a return on equity of 50.34%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.31 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.76 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 18th will be given a dividend of $0.432 per share. This represents a $1.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 18th. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.33%.

Zoetis Profile

Zoetis Inc engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of animal health medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products and services in the United States and internationally. The company commercializes products primarily across species, including livestock, such as cattle, swine, poultry, fish, and sheep and others; and companion animals comprising dogs, cats, and horses.